Poughkeepsie - On the afternoon of Tuesday, July 15, a community kick-off event for the Summer Food Service Program was held at the Family Partnership Center in Poughkeepsie. Dozens of kids in Poughkeepsie attended the event, receiving free nutritious meals, playing games and participating in nutritional education activities. The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), the program for which the kick-off event was held, provides free meals for children in Poughkeepsie throughout the summer.
The SFSP is a federally funded program that provides free breakfasts and lunches for kids 18 and under while school is out of session, operating at five different sites in Poughkeepsie. The SFSP is a critical program for low-income families in Poughkeepsie, particularly in light of rising food prices. With no restrictions or forms to complete, the SFSP represents a simple and effective means of helping to alleviate the economic pressures that are making it increasingly difficult for low-income families to feed their children.
Unfortunately, the program is under-utilized in Poughkeepsie and across the state. In 2007, less than 8% of eligible kids participated in the program in Dutchess County. The main reason identified for this low participation rate is a lack of awareness of the program. Community-based organizations in Poughkeepsie are hopeful that the successful kick-off event will encourage needy families to attend the meal sites throughout the summer.
In addition to the nutritional education activities hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension, the kick-off event featured a free raffle for the children at the event. Fifteen kids went home with prizes donated by local businesses. Some of the prizes included books, toys, sporting goods and karate lessons. In addition, all the children at the event received free ice cream. All in all, the event’s primary sponsors – the Hunger Action Network of New York State and Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County – consider the kick-off event a success, and they are optimistic that the high attendance at the kick-off event will translate to increased participation in the program.
Families who wish to find out more information about the Summer Food Service Program should contact Dutchess Outreach at (845) 454-3792.
About the Hunger Action Network
The Hunger Action Network is a statewide anti-hunger coalition that combines grassroots organizing at the local level with state level research, education and advocacy to address the root causes of hunger, including poverty. Additional information about the Summer Food Service Program can be found at http://www.hungeractionnys.org/fed_sum.htm.
